Book of Blood

Book of Blood

Year: 2009

Runtime: 96 mins

Language: English

Director: John Harrison

DramaThrillerMysteryHorrorHorror the undead and monster classics

The dead will not be silenced. Inspired by Clive Barker’s wraparound tale from his “Books of Blood” collection, the film follows a paranormal investigator who, while probing a brutal murder, discovers a house that sits at the crossroads of spectral “highways” that ferry souls to the afterlife, dragging the living into a nightmarish realm.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Book of Blood (2009)

Trace every key event in Book of Blood (2009) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Wyburd abducts Simon and sets a deadly bargain

In a diner, Wyburd watches Simon and lures him into his truck. Simon is knocked out and wakes strapped to a table, where Wyburd offers a choice between a slow death or a quick, clean one by telling the story of the Book of Blood. Simon agrees to reveal his story as the price for a fast end.

Night Diner and Wyburd's truck
2

Simon begins to reveal the Book of Blood

Strapped to a table, Simon begins to recount the events that shaped him, promising that the dead will write their tales on his body. He frames the 'Book of Blood' as a living record of scars and memories. The bargain marks the literal start of the possession of his life by the dead.

Night Wyburd's trap room
3

A teenage girl is murdered in the house

A teenage girl is violently raped and killed in her bed, while her parents scream outside. The brutal act seeds the house's dark past and the ghosts it will unleash. This event becomes the catalyst for the investigators who arrive later.

Months earlier Victim's house
4

Mary and Reg begin the investigation

Paranormal professor Mary Florescu and her partner Reg Fuller arrive to uncover the house's murderous history. They move in with Simon, who is briefly presented as a clairvoyant ally. The trio sets up a field study to observe the escalating hauntings.

Months after the murder; present investigation the house
5

Mary and Simon grow close

Mary encounters Simon and is drawn to him as his abilities seem uncanny. They grow closer and eventually become lovers, complicating the investigation. The emotional bond deepens even as the supernatural events intensify.

Early phase the house
6

Mary sees six dancing girls who are ghosts

During the investigation, Mary hallucinates six girls dancing in a circle. When the dancing stops, the figures vanish and reveal themselves as ghosts watching her. The sight confirms the house's supernatural grip.

Early investigation the house
7

Gunpowder on the walls raises questions

Reg persuades Mary to send a sample of the walls for analysis, and the lab returns with gunpowder residues. The discovery shows that some phenomena may be staged tricks rather than pure haunting. Mary realizes Simon may be deceiving them, even as she suspects hidden powers.

Shortly after investigation the lab
8

Confrontation and claims of power

Mary confronts Simon, who admits some deception but argues that not all events are fake and that the house has chosen him. He hints that Mary herself could be the mechanism that awakens the ghosts. The tension escalates as trust fractures within the trio.

Confrontation phase the house
9

Hauntings peak and Reg dies

The hauntings intensify, with dragonflies appearing and specters closing in on Simon. Reg moves to intervene but is tormented by a terrifying ghost and falls to his death. Mary faces the escalating madness and the possibility that the house will overwhelm them.

Climax of the haunting the house
10

Mary declares the crossroad between worlds

Mary declares that the house is an intersection that allows the dead to spill over into the living world. She asserts that Simon has led them to this crossroads, but Reg argues it is not just Simon's doing. The revelation reframes the threat as a test of who will listen to the dead.

Climax the house
11

The ghosts torment Simon again

The ghosts return to torment Simon, carving wounds into his flesh with nails and glass. Mary races to find him as the spectral descent continues down the stairs. The room fills with fear as the past presses in.

Final confrontation Simon's room
12

Mary helps the ghosts depart; Simon survives

Mary pledges to listen to the dead and helps the spectral procession depart, allowing Simon to survive the ordeal. The house finally releases its hold as the ghosts withdraw. Yet the Book of Blood remains, and Simon's flesh still bears the living stories.

After the climax the house
13

Simon reveals his imprisonment and Wyburd's plan

Simon confesses that he has been kept prisoner, the book on which the dead write, and that Mary has profited from his stories. He explains that Wyburd was hired to strip his skin in exchange for payment. The grim confession links the past and present in the tragedy.

After the ghosts depart the room
14

Wyburd enacts the final betrayal

Wyburd follows through on his bargain and kills Simon quickly after retrieving his skin. He places the skin in a suitcase and awaits payment that never arrives. The macabre turn intensifies the sense of fatal bargains.

Immediately after Simon's confession the building
15

Mary ends the tale and embraces the darkness

Blood floods the building as the suitcase leaks, and Wyburd drowns in the rising tide. Mary arrives unfazed, opens the suitcase, and finds Simon's intact skin. She smiles as she begins to read the stories still being written on the living book.

Final scene the building

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 10:41

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Book of Blood Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Book of Blood

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Book of Blood

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